Apparatus for converting iron into steel



2 SheetsSheet 1. A

(No Model.)

P. L. WEIMER.

APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING IRON INTO STEEL. No. 324,903.

Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

WITNESSES Unrrnn mares PATENT OFFICE.

.IETEl-t L. EIME 1, OF LE EANON, PENNSYLVANIA:

APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING IRON INTO STEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,903, dated August 25, 1885.

Application filed'Ju'ne 9, 1885. (X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER LNVEIMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements inApparatus for Gonverting Iron into Steel; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the art of making steel many processes have been devised for treating molten iron the product of blast-furnaces-to relieve it of impurities, such as phosphorus, sulphur, car bon, and silicon, which are detrimental to its uses in the mechanic arts. One of the most important questions presented to the steelmanut'acturer is, how to reduce the cost of the necessary appliances to convert iron into steel. The great expense attending the construction of the Bessemer plant is oneof the chief reasons for there'being so few such plants in use for the manufacture of refined metal, as the expense inherent to the construc tion and operation of such a plant cannot be supported by the ordinary line of trade.

The object of my invention is to provide means for converting molten iron-the product of the blast-furnaceinto steel on the Bessemer plan at the minimum of cost, and which shall be simple in its construction, reliable in its operation, and adapted to be worked by means of an air-blast derivel from a high-pressure blowing-engine.

.llerctolorc it has been proposed to treat molten crst'iron by introducing air into it below the surlace of the metalto decarbonize the iron, the converter being a closed vessel mounted upon wheels, and adapted to be run into the casting house or in close proximity to the furnace. It has also been proposed to introduce air into a com-'crter below the surface ol' the metal through tuycres entering the converter at a tangent, and imparting to the metal a whirling or circular motion; In both instances referred to the tuyeresare exposed to the molten metal, and some means must be employed for preventing the meta-lfrom entering the mouth of the tnyeres, and in the latter instance the metal simply revolves in a cylindrical vessel without being agitated by the airblast introduced below the surface of the metal. It has also been proposed to agitate the metal by directing a blast or blasts of air upon the surface thereof. -My inventionconsists of an open annular converter mounted upon wheels, and adapt. d to be run into the casting-house or near to the furnace stack, to receive the molten metal directly therefrom, then to be removed to a stack or chimney, under which a distributingpipe provided with a series of nozzles is suspended, where it is violently agitated by blasts of air directed into it from the surface and a circular current motion imparted thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a vertical section of my improve 1 apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of .the converter.

Reference being had to the drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, A represents a converter, made ofboiler-iron, and lined with refractory material, suchas is common to the art. A cone, B, in the center of the converter forms an annular chamber, 0, between the two walls. The converter is mounted upon wheels adapted to run on an .ordinary railroad-track.

D represents achimney, having its base expanded outwardly, and supported upo 1 a mantel-ring, E, which in turn is supported on columns F, and is 01" sufficient height to carry oil the gases arising from the iron under treat meut by natural draft. The stack may be built at any convenient place in the castinghouse of the furnace, with its upper end projecting through the roof. When the natural draft of the chimney is not sufficiently strong to draw off all the gases arising from the con verter, detachable inclosed doors or aprons "(not shown) lined with fire-brickor other non-coiuluctingmaterial are ruipended upon the columns, and reach from the mantel-ring 1*] down to the top of the converter A, thus increasing the capacity of the chimney.

Within the chimney D is an air-supply follows pipe, G,coiled elliptieally, as shown in the plan view, Fig. ,2, Theflohg side of the coil is supported-in the masonry, as shown in Fig. 1.

II represents an air-distributing pipe, provided with a seriesot' contracted nozzles, I, projecfing downwardly and inclined to their axes in;,aalirertion tangential to a curve lo cated in ahorizontal plane. The distributingpipe H is supported by brackets J, attached to the COILllllTIST'D to protect the brackets from the destructive effects of the heated metal in the converter. They have cast in them pipes K, through which water is kept in circulation.

The several parts being constructed substantially as described, the operation is as Molten cast iron having been drawn from .urnace into the converter A, it is nioved'hind'er the chimney D, directly below the distributing-pipe H. Air from an ordinary blowingenglne is then supplied through the pipe G, distributingpipe H, and nozzles I. Thelatter,beinginclined and arranged at atangent to the annular chamber 0 ot' the converter, direct the air upon the surface of and project it down into the body of the metal, first imparting to it a circular current motion in the annular chamber, and also agitating it, whereby the metal is rapidly decarbonized. The air supplied to the molten metal is heated by the body of metal contained in the convt rterand by the gases arising from the metal under treatment as they ascend through the chimney D in contact with the pipes containin g the air.

To remove the phosphorus and foreign matter from the iron, burnt lime, fluor-spar, or their equivalents, is thrown upon thesurface ot' the molten metal, and is carried down into the body thereof by the air-blasts, thus thoroughly mingling or mixing the lime with the metal. The slag, as it rises to the surface, is skimmed oh? by an operator, and discharged from the converter by means of the spout L. When the metal has been refined to the degree desired, the blast is cut ott and the converter removed to a suitable point, when the steel is withdrawn through the outlet M, which is provided with a suitable gate-valve. (Not shown.) Another converter is moved into the position above described and the operation repeated.

Itwill be observed that by my improved apparatus the air-is heated without incurring additional expense, the air and the lime thoroughly mixed with the molten metal, the metal kept in a continuous circular current motion, and means are provided at the minimum of first cost, and the operation maintained at a great-reduction in the expense usually attending the refining of metals.

A very important feature of my invention -coiisists-in placing the coil of pipe through which airisconducted in the chimney through which the escaping gases and the heat from the converter are passing to the atmosphere, whereby the air supplied to the converter is heated to such a degree as to materially aid the process of converting iron into steel, and by thoroughly agitating the molten metal by blasts of hot air under high pressure a smaller quantity of air is required than in many of the processes of making steel now commonly practiced.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A chimney or stack having an outwardlyexpanded base, as shown, in combination with an air-supply and a distributing pipe arranged within and supported by the masonry forming said chimney or stack, substantially as described.

2. A chimney or stack having an outwardlyexpanded base, in combination with an airsupply pipe and an annular distributingpipe provided with contracted nozzles inclined downward and forward, substantiallyas shown and described.

3. A chimney or stack, in combination with an air-supply pipe and L a distributing-pipe provided with depending nozzles inclined downward, and also in a direction tangential to a curve located in a horizontal plane, substantially as shown and described.

4. A chimney or stack having an outwardexpanded base, supported by a mantel-ring resting upon columns, in combination with an air-supply and a distributing pipe contained within and supported by the masonry forming said chimney, substantially as described.

5. The combination of an open portable converter having an annular chamber and an air-distributing pipe arranged axially above the converter and provided with nozzles inclined downward, and also in a direction tangential to a curve located in a horizontal plane, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an open portable converter provided with an annular chamber and an air-distributingpipe having nozzles inclined downward, and also at a tangent to the annular chamber, whereby a circular current motion is imparted to the molten metal contained in the converter by the air directed upon the surface and into the body of the metal, substantially as described.

7. The combination of an open converter, a chimney having an outward-expanded base supported upon columns, an elliptic air-supp] y pipe supported by the masonry forming the chimney, and a distributing-pipe arranged horizontally above the converter, provided with a series of nozzles, and adapted to be heated by the metal in the converter and the gases rising therefrom, substantially as described.

8. The combination of an open converter having an annular chamber, an air-supplypipe, and an annular distributing-pipe provided with depending nozzles inclined downward, tangent to the annular chamber of the 001 M9 and also in a direction tangential to a curve I verter and extending near to the surface of located in a horizontal plane, and a forced l the metal, whereby hot air under pressure is blast of air adapted to project lime thrown supplied to the metal, substantially as de- 15 5 upon the surface of the metal into the body scribed.

thereof, substantially as described. 1 In testimony whereof I affix my signature 9. The combination of a converter, a chilnin presence of two witnesses.

ncy having an ontwardlyexpanded base, and PETER L. XVIDIMER. an air-supply and a distributing pipe arranged 'Witnesses 10 above the converter and heated therefrom, J. \VEIDMAN MURRAY,

Tomas REINOEHL, (S. S.)

the nozzles projecting downward and at a 

